Releasing wires from electrical plugs?

[dmartin149]

Does anyone here know how to remove and replace the wires in this plug? It goes to the TCS switch. The switch only works when I hold the wires at a certain angle. The problem is not the jack (female plug) on the switch housing. It is the wires going into the plug. I want to remove, clean and re-seat.
Thanks, Dan

 

[Wild Turkey]

@drew knows how. He's the electrical connector wizard.

 

[dmartin149]

I bought a set of tools, watched videos etc. I just can't get them out. I ordered a new plug with leads attached. Should be here Friday.

 

[drew]

That is an JAE IL AG5.

Unclip the rear retainer to start. This is a bar on the wire side.

You need to raid your paperclip stash. Find one that fits very snugly in the smaller opening. Make sure the end of the paperclip has a flat cut end. A needle will not work. A smaller diameter paperclip will not work...it must be a near exact fit.

Push the paperclip into the smaller hole in the connector shell and push. You should hear/feel a slight snap as the terminal retaining barb is being released.

The terminal should easily pull out.

If the terminal is stuck (mostly because you messed it up) you can force it with your new found skill.

You'll discover how many different thicknesses of paperclips are made. Once you find the right size, you will hoard those and they will be valuable part of your tool kit. They are common enough, but not ubiquitous.

I have found that a carb jet cleaner kit works very well too as they are made of hardened steel, have a clean flat edge, have the right size, and you can push through a stubborn terminal out of a misshapen connecter shell.

 

[dmartin149]

Thanks. I'll go out and give it another go after dinner.

 

[dmartin149]

WOOHOO!!! That works, and it's easy too. Now I'm going to need a magnifier to figure out how to re-tension those clips.
Thank you Drew.

 

[drew]

Awesome.

WTF tool did you buy that can't compete with a paperclip?

The Chinese have knocked off the AG5 (see AliExpress) and the terminal fits very tightly and I needed the carburetor jet cleaning tool kit to force out the terminal. It was a critical save.

 

[dmartin149]

Not one of these looks like a paper clip

 

[drew]

My guess would be use one that is as wide as the small opening....but you would have be near center when inserting horizontally. Not obvious and difficult.

The snug paperclip is a rare solution that is good, cheap, and fast.

 

[Old Guy]

cycleterminal.com sells the AG5 plugs and terminals

JAE IL-AG5

JAE IL-AG5 connectors for instument cluster, climate control unit, instrument panel switches, Honda - Acura immobilizer unit. Great prices and low cost shipping!!

www.cycleterminal.com

I would be inclined to remove the defective terminal and re terminate with new rather than try and re tension the terminal. That is not spring steel and does not take kindly to being flexed. Those are the female terminals. If you think you know which terminal is suspect, remove it from the plug body and then carefully insert it onto the male terminal (in the female housing). The female terminal should fit the male terminal firmly - no movement. If its floppy replace it.

The reason I suggest that you do this check is that the problem may not be the actual terminal. If they have not been fiddled with these plugs tend to be incredibly reliable. The problem might be where the terminals on the female plug body connect to the internal components. If the plug terminals solder to an internal circuit board, solder migration and fracturing at the connection leading to intermittent or non operation is an increasingly common problem on the NSX (think of all the main EFI relay failures). Wiggling the wire harness can move the solder joint allowing the connection connection to temporarily re establish itself.

Just check to make sure that the actual terminal is the problem.

 

[dmartin149]

Thanks, Old Guy. Yes, a bad solder joint was my first suspicion. I reflowed the solder where the female plug attaches to the circuit board, with no improvement.
I've just finished re-tensioning the terminals (a jewelers loop was a big help in determining just where to squeeze) It's all back together now and working great.
Now that I've mastered the fine art of contortionism (working in the footwell), I'll give myself a pat on the back for getting it done without breaking anything else.

 

[Old Guy]

Forget the "pat on the back', as an old guy I find Robaxacet more helpful after a dive under the dash .

If the re-tensioning worked out, that is great. Particularly since removing a terminal for #22 and smaller wire and crimping on a new open barrel terminal in a tight spot can be painful (literally and figuratively). The terminals are typically made from copper alloys plated with tin or tin alloys, both of which have low yield strengths so you have to practise your Jedi master skills to make sure that you don't bend that tension tang on the female terminal to far.